Top-spinning toy.



Eatented Aug. 12,190.2.

6. 6. MANN]l TOP SPINNING TOY.

(Application tiled Apr. 26, 1902.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES GEORGE RANDALL MANN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO EDWIN J. I-IIATT AND MATT OHIO.

HEW R. DENVER, OF WILMINGTON,

TOP-SPINNING TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7Q6,676, dated August 12, 1902.

Application filed April 26| 1902.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be :it known that I, GEORGE RANDALL MANN, of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain patent to J. R. Oluxton, No. 561,492, dated` June 2, 1896; and the objects of the present invention are to provide means for adjusting the clampingtension of the top-spindle holding and turningldeviees, to provideopposed rubber-faced spindle-holding' plates, 1

and to improve the general construction and arrangements of the triggerand sliding-plate connections and operating devices.

The invention therefore consists in the improved'novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter desoribed,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of the piston with top in position ready to be spun. Fig. 2 is a view thereof with one side removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section online 3 3, Fig. l. section on line 4 4, Fig. 2.` Fig. 5 is adetail view similar to Fig. 2, showing the hammer cocked.

The body of the toy represents a piston,

and may be conveniently formed in two longitudinal halves A B, chambered to contain the operative parts.

C designates the hammer, which is pivoted at c and is provided with a rearwardly-extending lever-arm C', againstwhich the actuating-spring D bears. It will be noted that this arm extends rearwardly and is curved, so that the end of spring D acts primarily against the base thereof or inner end of arm when hammer is cocked,-an`d when hammer is released the end of spring acts farther and farther outward on the arm, so as to maintain the speed of the hammer and increase the leverage of the spring. This feature is its discharge.

vthe guard'A, as Ain ordinary pistols. rspring Dis a loop-spring, one end being fas- Fig. 4: is an enlarged longitudinal` Serial No. 104,850. (No model.)

particularly useful in top-spinning toys, as the slide should be moved with equal or increasing speed until the top is discharged, so as to impart the greatest rapidity of rotation to the top-spindle before and at the time of The hammeris provided with Janotch c' near its pivot, adapted to engage atrigger E, pivoted at e and depending into The tened at d within the handle portion of the pistol, while the other end extends to and presses against arm C of the hammer, as shown.

Within the barrel is a slide G, which is connected by a linkG' to the hammer C, so that the slide is reciprocated by raising and lowering the hammer. AThis slide is provided with afacing g of rubber or similar frictional material. Opposite. the slide G within the barrel isa plate H, which is yieldingly pressed toward slide G by means of a spring H', inserted between the plate and side of barrel, the plate being retained in position and the tension of the spring regulated by means of an adj listing-screw H2, passing through a perforation in the side of the barrel and engaging a threaded recess h in the plate H, as shown in Fig. 4. The plate is, moreover,

provided with a short facingh, of rubber or other frictional material, past which the faoing g of slide G moves when said slide is re- Veiprocated. Below the facings g 'h of the slide and plate and in the under side of the Vbarrel is a slot b, through which slot the stem i of atop I can be inserted.

Operation: When it is desired to spin a top I, the hammer is cocked, drawing slide G back and tensioning spring D. The stem 't' of the top is then inserted through slot b between the faeings h g and is held by the pressure of plate H against the slide. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer is released and is thrown quickly forward by spring D pressingv against arm Ol of the hammer, the armOlfacilitating the action of the spring .and increasing the power and rapidity of motion of the hammer and attached slide. As the slide moves outward the top-spindle is rolled along slot b and between the facings g h until it clears the IOO latter, when the top drops by gravity. The rolling of the spindle between facings g h imparts a rapid rotarymotion to the top, so that it spins when it falls. By means of spring H2 the tension or pressure between the facings g h can be nicely regulated to properly t the top-spindle, and thus insure good spinning each time the device is operated. If a paper cap be placed in position it can be exploded by the impact of the hammer in firing The manner of operating the toy and the construction thereof will be sufficiently clear from the foregoing description in connection with the drawings.

I do not restrict myself to the precise construction and proportions of .parts shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a top-spinning toy, the combination of a longitudinally-movable slide, a spring for moving it in one direction, and means for setting the slide and tensioning the spring; with a laterally-movable spring-pressed plate beside theI slide, means for regulating the spring-pressure, and opposed frictional surfaces on Vthe plate and slide, substantially as described.

2. In a toy pistol the combination of the stock andbarrel, the hammer pivoted thereto having an arm above its pivot projecting rearwardly and downwardly when hammer is cocked, and a notch in hammer adjacent to its pivot, a trigger engaging the notch to hold hammer cocked, and a bent spring confined in the handle, one end of said spring engaging the arm of the hammer and operating therewith substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The herein-described top-spinning toy comprising a hammer, a spring engaging the hammer, a trigger Vfor locking the hammer when cock.ed,77 a slide in the barrel, a link connecting the hammer and slide, a plate in the barrel beside the slide, a spring pressing the plate toward the slide, a regulating-screw therefor, a slot in the-barrel adjacent to said frictional surfaces, and a top having a spindle adapted to be inserted through said slot between the said frictional surfaces after the hammer is cocked7 all substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a top-spinning toy pistol, the combination of the barrel, a slide therein, a springactuated hammer, connections for moving the slide with the hammer, a laterally-movable presser-plate beside the slide, opposed frictional surfaces on the plate and slide between.

GEORGE RANDALL MANN.

In presence of C. E. WEsTERvEL'r, F. M. PETERS. 

